Coffee Break, Part 3
by Marymel
Summary: Jim Brass and Sofia Curtis meet once again for coffee and talk about what's been going on with the team. Post-ep for "Willows In The Wind," but references the first half of season 12.


**Coffee Break, Part 3**

**Jim Brass and Sofia Curtis meet to reminisce about Catherine. Post-ep for "Willows In The Wind," but it references the first half of season 12.**

**Thank you Beaujolais for your kind reviews so far! **

**I still don't own CSI **

Sofia Curtis smiled and waved to Jim Brass as he walked into the diner and took his seat in the booth across from her.

"Thanks for calling me," he said.

Sofia smiled. "Figured you might want a cup of coffee."

Jim grinned. "What, you never closed a case with a shot of scotch?" Sofia just smiled.

The waitress came and took their orders, turned them into the kitchen, then returned to fill their mugs with fresh coffee. Jim and Sofia thanked her and she left to tend to the other customers in the diner.

After a brief silence, Jim cleared his throat. "So, do you miss the beat?" It had been less than a year that Sofia was promoted to Deputy Sheriff.

"Mmm," Sofia began, "Sometimes I do."

Jim smiled. "You were a good cop, you know."

Sofia was surprised at Jim's compliment. "Thank you."

"No, I mean it," Jim added. "You deserve your promotion."

Sofia blushed slightly and looked down at her mug of coffee. "Thank you."

Jim smiled. The waitress brought their food and the two said thanks as she walked off.

"So, how is it working with the new team leader...Russell, is it?" Sofia asked.

"Mmm-hmm," Jim answered with his mouth half full of his eggs. "D.B. Russell, transferred in from Seattle." Sofia nodded. She'd heard about the new team after Ecklie had told her that Ray Langston had been fired.

"Seems like the whole team has been turned upside-down," she said. "Doesn't seem like it was that long ago I was on the CSI team. Remember, when Ecklie was first promoted to Lab Director?"

Jim chuckled. "Yeah, he separated the team, but everyone came back together, and the police force gained a good cop." Jim met Sofia's gaze, remembering how she had been "volunteered" by the then-sheriff to CSI, then she was demoted, and finally became a cop.

Sofia smiled and shook her head. "Mmm-hmm. Well, I did work with the best."

Now it was Jim's turn to smile. The two continued eating their breakfasts for a few more moments.

"Oh," Jim said after taking another sip of coffee, "You know Conrad's daughter is on the team now."

"Morgan?" Sofia asked. "Yeah, I had heard she transferred here after that whole Haskell-Langston thing in L.A. How's she doing?"

"Really good. She's a very good CSI."

Sofia smiled. "You know, the last time I saw her she was in junior high school, I think. Always just fascinated to see all the equipment and gadgets in the lab."

Jim laughed softly. "From what Doc Robbins has told me about her, nothing's changed. She loves everything about the job."

"Hmm," Sofia said, taking another sip of her coffee. "I heard she was involved in a hijacking a while back."

Jim nodded, remembering how worried Conrad was about his daughter. "Yeah, she was shaken up, but she came back just as strong if not stronger."

Sofia nodded. "So, everyone adjusting pretty well?"

Finishing a bite of toast, Jim said, "You could say that. Sanders was so angry when he found out the guy's daughter had set him up. Knocked over a chair in interrogation, shouting..." Sofia looked surprised. She remembered Greg Sanders as the young CSI who was practically reserved and treated as the low man on the team. Even after his coroner's inquest, she never saw Greg lose his temper, so she couldn't picture him so angry.

"Wow," was all she could think of to say. Jim simply nodded.

The two finished their breakfasts and continued small talk when the waitress refilled their coffee mugs. They thanked her and she walked away.

Jim sighed. "So I guess you heard about Willows."

Sofia nodded. The night before, their colleague and friend, Catherine Willows, had decided to leave CSI for a new job with the F.B.I. "Yeah, Ecklie told me she had officially handed in her resignation." Sofia looked at Jim, who just nodded.

"You know, I am happy for her," Jim began. "She was a good boss and always cared about the team."

"Yeah," Sofia agreed, remembering her own work with the former head CSI. "After that whole Langston ordeal, getting demoted had to have been hard on her."

"Yeah, it was," Jim agreed. "But she was a good CSI and always put the team first."

Sofia nodded. A small smile pursed her lips. "You know, I remember working with her briefly in the lab. If she was passionate about her case, she had no qualms letting you know about it. Remember that dead mogul, the Bruce Eiger case? She was mad that they had called Grissom in, said she didn't need any supervision. But when it came to her job, she kept at it. She never gave up and loved what she did."

Jim smiled and nodded. "So true. No one can take her place."

"Yep," Sofia agreed.

When the waitress returned with the ticket, Jim took it before Sofia had a chance to object.

"Jim, I invited you..."

"No, you paid last time," he said, getting out his wallet.

"I don't keep track of things like that," Sofia said.

"Me neither," Jim said, smiling.

Sofia smiled back. "Thanks."

Jim smiled back. "Thank you."

As she watched Jim walk to the counter to pay, Sofia couldn't help thinking of how different the team was from when she was a CSI. Warrick was dead, Riley Adams and Ray Langston had both arrived and left, and Grissom and Catherine both had departed for other opportunities. But through everything, Jim had remained a good friend. Some things changed, but Sofia was thankful that some things, including Jim Brass, remained the same.

The End. Please Review!


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